Contact Terminal Spring Layout for Vibration-Stable Tab Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing contact terminals for connecting contact tabs in electrical connectors are not optimized for different applications and suffer from misalignment and instability under stress, such as vibrations, leading to increased production and storage costs due to the need for specific pre-manufactured terminals.
Innovation Solution
A contact terminal design featuring contact springs that limit tab reception volumes on one side, allowing for adjustable positioning and resilient deflection to enhance stability, with separate components like holders and springs optimized for mechanical stability and electrical conductivity, and adjustable contact points to accommodate various applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If contact terminals are pre-manufactured for specific applications, then connection reliability is improved, but production and storage costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The contact terminal is designed with a universal structure that can accommodate different numbers and positions of contact springs, allowing the same basic terminal design to serve multiple applications. The holder can be configured with varying numbers of contact springs (e.g., 1, 2, 3, or 4) at different positions, enabling one terminal type to replace multiple application-specific variants, thereby reducing production complexity and storage requirements while maintaining reliable connections.
2Manufacturing precision
If contact springs limit tab reception volumes on both sides, then alignment precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The contact spring is designed with an asymmetric structure where only one end is bent to form a limiting surface, while the other end remains straight for attachment to the holder. This asymmetric design allows the contact spring to effectively limit the tab reception volume on one side only, simplifying the overall device structure compared to symmetric designs that would require limiting structures on both sides, while still achieving sufficient alignment precision for the application.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design provides a secure and stable connection under stress conditions, reducing misalignment and fretting corrosion while allowing for flexible adaptation to different applications, thus minimizing production and storage costs.
Implementation Method 1
the at least one contact spring may be resiliently deflected independently from the opposing side increasing the stability of the contact terminal against vibrations
Data Source
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Figure 3~4
Figure 5~7
AI summary
The invention relates to a contact terminal (1) that is adapted to connect at least two contact tabs (2) and comprises a first tab reception volume (4) and a second tab reception volume (6), each being configured to receive one of the two contact tabs (2) in a respective insertion direction (I). The contact terminal (1) further comprises at least one contact spring (8), which extends continuously from the first tab reception volume (4) to the second tab reception volume (6) at one side thereof. The at least one contact spring (8) may be configured to be deflected resiliently in a direction perpendicular to the respective insertion direction (I) and away from the respective first and second tab reception volume (4, 6). The at least one contact spring (8) is attached to a holder (10). In order to provide a contact terminal (1) that can be easily adjusted to different applications and allows for a secure and stable connection even when subjected to stress, such as vibrations, the at least one contact spring (8) limits the first and second tab reception volume on one side at least partially. Therefore, the contact terminal (1) may be adapted to different shapes of the contact tabs (2), such as single sided, double sided, cylindrical or rectangular shapes.